Android Isn't an OS Anymore. It's a Lifestyle.

During Google's achingly long keynote today, the company made one thing clear: Android isn't a choice, it's a lifestyle. It's not just the open-source software that powers your smartphone or tablet anymore, it's now the interface for your car, the entertainment navigation for your television, the power behind your contextually aware smartwatch, and the choice of one billion active users.

During Google's achingly long keynote today, the company made one thing clear: Android isn't a choice, it's a lifestyle. It's not just the open-source software that powers your smartphone or tablet anymore. It's now the interface for your car, the entertainment navigation for your television, and the power behind your contextually aware smartwatch. Your phone is the mothership controlling a multitude of devices that carry you through the day.

As we mentioned in our preview post, Android has finally grown too big for its mobile confines. Of the dozen or so announcements today, only a couple had any direct link to smartphones. Google announced its Android L update, which focused on a few key features including touch feedback, seamless animations, simpler design (as seen in the Gmail app), and a richer color palette. Android L also improves battery life and integrates smarter, more convenient notifications. And a new program called Android One creates hardware and software reference platforms so Android can have a baseline standard for low-end smartphones (mostly in international markets).

But in truth, Google I/O 2014 was a three-hour epic about all the ways Android is beginning to spread its influence. First, your wrist: At I/O, Google gave details and demos on the new Android Wear platform. Unlike previous smartwatch attempts that use app grids, Google's vision is to have a watch that's just an extension of the powerful computer already in your pocket. Overall, the smartwatches look like optimized Google Now interfaces with contextual based information popping up when you need it. Google announced that LG's G Watch is available to order now through the Play Store, Samsung's Android Wear-based Gear Live will go on sale July 7, and Motorola's Moto 360 will be available sometime this summer.

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Your arm is just one arm of Android—Google's presentation then transitioned to the car. Much like Apple's CarPlay system, Android Auto aims to plug your smartphone into your dash. Android Auto delivers a streamlined UI that looks easy to navigate, allowing drivers to keep their eyes on the road rather than buried in a smartphone. Much like Android Wear, Android Auto pulls themes and ideas from Google Now and brings up relevant information based on your location. Also, the platform integrates voice search and Google Maps right into your dash. As with the Android watches, the platform's power isn't part of the car itself: Information is still processed through a connected Android device.

Android's relentless assault into your home continues with Android TV, which is a reimagined approach to the company's failed Google TV product from 2010. Android TV is the name of the software that will be packaged in a variety of guises, whether in TVs from announced partners like Sony or Sharp, or in separate, dedicated set-top gaming consoles from companies like Razer and Asus. This time around, Android TV is much more visually in line with what we've seen from competitors such as Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV. It has integrated voice search and is easily controllable with a d-pad, whether that's on a game controller or your smartphone or tablet.

Android is even coming to desktop devices—specifically Chromebooks. As demonstrated by Sundar Pichai, senior vice president and keynote speaker, Google has created an Apple-like Continuity feature where users can answer phone calls and texts with Chromebook and also run certain Android apps. Those demoed during the event were Flipboard, Evernote, and Vine. It's not clear how many apps will come to Chromebook, though, and Pichai admits this function is in the early stages.

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Here's the bottom line: Google is telling us that in the future, buying a smartphone isn't really about the smartphone at all. It's buying into a lifestyle—now more than ever. It's not just a choice of whether your hard-earned cash goes to the Play Store or the iTunes Store. Your choice of ecosystem will affect how you buy a car, watch television, and interact with a growing digital world. You will soon be able to wake up with Android, watch the news with Android TV, drive to work with Android Auto, and answer texts during a meeting with Android Wear. Google's OS has been liberated from its mobile prison, and there's no looking back.

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